How Is That Stainless Window Trim On Your GM A-Body Held On?

How the stainless trim that surrounds your rear window as well as windshield of your Chevelle, GTO, Monte Carlo, Cutlass, El Camino or Skylark is held on is a mystery to some and here is a quick overview of how the system works. Essentially friction along with some small tabs with eccentric surfaces hold it tight against the channel wall. It’s ingenious and not very complex, but because most people never remove their trim (why would they?) and since it’s all hidden it is confusing.

Removing it takes a bit of patience as you need to locate the tabs and once you do you need a tool that can hook behind the tab to pull the tab away from the channel wall.

They make a tool specifically for it, but you can also use a hook shaped probe as well. You just need it to be rather narrow as you need to slide it along the glass surface and under the inner edge of the stainless trim (inner being the side toward the center of the window surface). Once you locate the tab and pull it forward the trim will pop up due to the loading that’s on it.

Do this starting at one tab and work around the perimeter. Again, patience is the key so that you don’t deform the trim (there really is no reason to deform it!). Keep in mind that they sell new trim clips should your be rusted, but do make sure that you note their design – GM had a few different ones. Also note their orientation. There is a front and back!